["Wasn't it all Sakiko's fault?"
The moment CRYCHIC's disbandment is brought up, Pressure Monster Rikki immediately begins interrogating Sakiko-sensei.
"She suddenly said she was quitting—that's what caused all this."]
Sakiko, however, remains emotionally stable.
Sure. You're right about everything.
-----------------------------------
["I think… she probably had some unspeakable difficulties?"
According to the Law of Filial Piety Conservation: if Rikki doesn't fulfill her devotion, someone else will fulfill it for her.
"What difficulties?"
"I'm not sure."
"It was because of me."
While the two are going back and forth, Tomori suddenly lowers her head and retreats into herself.
"I didn't sing well… at the live."
"That's why Saki didn't want to come anymore."]
Not that she's already admitted her fault—why is this anime still chasing her down to scold her?!
"Tomori, it wasn't your fault. It was my own decision."
Even though she's said similar things before, Sakiko-sensei feels the need to emphasize it again.
"My leaving CRYCHIC had nothing to do with you."
"Of course it had nothing to do with Tomori."
Before Tomori can respond, Rikki cuts in sharply.
"You don't need to emphasize that!"
"Rikki!"
In the end, it still takes Tomori stepping in to make Miss Taki reluctantly shut her mouth.
"It wasn't Saki's fault either."
Even after being hurt, Tomori has never once blamed Rikki.
"If Saki left CRYCHIC, she must have had her own reasons."
"We all… didn't do well enough. That's why it ended up like that."
CRYCHIC's breakup wasn't any one person's fault. Everyone had failed in some way—that was why things led to that outcome.
That was what Kamijou Mutsuki had told her.
"..."
Sakiko-sensei's expression grows complicated. The more considerate Tomori is, the heavier the guilt weighing on her heart becomes.
"Rikki's band sure is complicated…"
Umiri stands off to the side, sipping boxed juice, silently watching her dear friend devote herself wholeheartedly to other girls.
["Why would you think that?"
Facing Tomori's self-blame, Anon raises an objection.
"Outsiders should keep their mouths shut!"
Rikki's tone is… less than friendly.
"But the song Haruhikage is obviously super good."
"That goes without saying!"
"Tomori, thank you for being willing to say that."
Soyo gently interrupts their exchange, offering Tomori a soft smile.
"So that's how you felt."
What follows are Soyo's soothing, guiding words, gradually steering the topic toward Rikki.
"Actually, Rikki's been waiting for you, Tomori. Waiting for you to come to practice too~"
Tomori turns to look at Rikki.
"You weren't angry?"
"How could I possibly be angry?!"
Being doubted by her "dear one," Rikki immediately declares her loyalty.
"For me, compared to everyone arguing, Tomori not coming to practice hurts more."
"…Then it really was my fault."
Yet Tomori lowers her head again, her expression dimming.]
-----------------------------------
[Shiina Rikki's Way of Speaking]
[Shiina-san really isn't great with words]
[Isn't it more that Tomori misunderstood? Rikki's words are clearly full of how much she values her]
[So Shiina-san has this side to her too?]
Although the earlier episodes had already hinted at it, seeing that usually sharp-tongued, high-EQ-but-hard-to-approach Rikki being this openly devoted outside… was still eye-opening.
[Rikki likes Tomori way too much, doesn't she?]
Some viewers latch onto a different angle.
[Tomori × Rikki so real]
[You don't understand—I was born a TomoRikki shipper]
[TomoRikki supremacy]
"…I didn't expect you to like Tomori that much, Rikki?"
Anon reads the comments aloud, her tone tinged with playful teasing as she turns toward Rikki.
If this kind of CP isn't shipping itself onto you personally, it's actually pretty entertaining.
"I…"
Although Taki had always been especially doting toward Tomori, having it said so directly still made her face flush bright red.
But with Taki's personality, she couldn't bring herself to say anything tsundere to deny it either.
"To me, Tomori is special."
The straightforward Taki voiced what she truly felt inside.
"We'll be good friends for a lifetime."
"I'll protect Tomori forever!"
Eh? Me?
Tomori blinked, only then realizing what Taki had just said.
"We'll form a band for a lifetime, stay together for a lifetime!"
Tomori naturally wouldn't let her good friend down.
"Taki is my… friend!"
As she said this, Tomori subconsciously glanced toward Kamijou Mutsuki.
Taki: ?
Why are you looking at him while talking to me?
Off to the side, Umiri looked at the absurd composition in front of her and couldn't help sighing. Objectively speaking, it was indeed amusing to watch—but unfortunately, one of the people involved was her own friend.
Taki's situation was even more complicated than she had originally thought.
["That's not it."
At this moment, it was naturally Soyo who stepped in to break the deadlock.
"Taki, she likes little Tomori the most, you know~"
"Ha!"
Taki shot to her feet. The two girls looked at each other, and the atmosphere made the audience outside the screen exchange knowing smiles.]
However, the real-life Taki, watching Tomori repeatedly glance toward Kamijou Mutsuki, probably couldn't laugh.
["Um, can't we reorganize the band?"
After saying so much before, Soyo finally revealed her true intention.
"Right now, there's me, and little Tomori and Taki."
Soyo began counting on her fingers. When she reached Taki, she stopped.
Guess who didn't get mentioned?
Anon: ?
Soyo: Sakiko is indispensable. Anon is disposable.
"We misunderstood everyone before, but now we've finally talked it out."
"It would be such a shame if we all just went our separate ways like this!"
"Let's form a band together again!"]
[The three of us]
With such a brilliant scene playing out, the bullet comments naturally couldn't stay silent.
[Finally going to form a brand-new three-member band—wait, why emphasize three?]
[We are, a three-person band]
[Soyo wants to form an amazing band. Guess who wasn't mentioned?]
[Anon: ?]
[How did Soyo forget Anon?]
[Classmate Soyo is so gentle, she must have just not noticed!]
[Why do I feel like it was intentional?]
["Together…"
In the anime, Tomori also seemed to be moved by Soyo's words.
"Yes, that's right~"
Soyo's tone visibly became more cheerful.
"This time, we absolutely have to communicate properly!"
"If we do that, there definitely won't be any problems!"
"Tomori."
Taki also turned her gaze toward Tomori.
"Um,"
In the anime, seeing herself about to become an outsider, Anon finally sensed that something was wrong.
Wait, she was the one who formed the band—so why did it look like she was about to be edited out?
"Sorry,"
Looking at the girls in front of her, Anon raised a hand and pointed at herself.
"What about me?"]
PS: It feels like writing spoilers isn't that easy. If I'm not careful, it becomes boring, and it also feels like everyone's enthusiasm in the replies isn't as high as during the daily-life parts.
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